Everything
by starbuckfaerie21
Summary: Set a few months after "If We Couldn't Dance"


**Everything**

 **Disclaimer:** Sadly I own neither _Saving Hope_ nor Daniel Gillies.

 **Pairing:** Joel & Alex (or if you prefer Alex & Joel)

 **Rating: T**

 **Summary:** Takes place a few months after "If We Couldn't Dance"

Joel Goran had just gotten into his car to leave the hospital when his cell phone rang. He glanced at the screen and smiled.

"Dr. Reid to what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, still not starting the engine.

"Are you on your way home?" Alex asked, trying to distract him so that she wouldn't have to reveal the embarrassing reason for her phone call.

"Yeah. I'm leaving now. Is everything okay?"

 _He knew Alex Reid well._

 _He knew everything about her._

 _And something in her voice sounded off._

"Yeah. Charlotte's napping and Luke's still at school. I'd be enjoying my day off a lot more if my husband were here."

She heard Joel chuckle on the other end of the phone line. "My apologies, ma'am. I'll see you in fifteen minutes."

"Okay," Alex whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too, Reid. Let me hang up so I can get home and show you just how much."

It was Alex's turn to laugh into the phone.

She hung up and waited for Joel.

 _She wasn't about to worry him by telling him that she'd fallen down the stairs._

 _She was just glad that her fall hadn't woken Charlotte._

She'd intended to do some laundry so she wouldn't have to do it later after the kids went to bed.

But she hadn't counted on falling ass over teakettle down the stairs with clothes and the laundry basket scattered all around her.

 _At least Teddy's okay._

 _Aren't you, little man?_

 _Thank God I landed on my back._

She thought pressing her hand protectively over her belly.

She was only five months along, but already felt clumsy and huge.

She knew Joel would disagree and tell her that she looked beautiful.

But she couldn't have felt more ridiculous.

 _She'd fallen down the stairs while doing laundry for God's sake!_

And the fact that she'd tried and failed to get up off the living room carpet for twenty minutes before she'd even called Joel just made her feel even worse.

She sighed and tried to enjoy the sensation of the soft carpet against her skin as she waited for Joel to come home.

Her eyes drifted closed just as she heard Joel's car pull into the driveway in front of the house.

She heard the car door slam and heard him whistling as he approached the front door.

She heard the key turn in the lock and heard the door open.

Then she heard Joel's voice, "Alex, I'm home."

"Hey," She called from her place on the living room floor in front of the stairs, trying to sound nonchalant.

He hadn't seen her on the floor yet.

But he'd probably see her in _3, 2, 1…_

He looked around the room, noted her supine position and put two and two together.

"Reid, did you fall down the stairs?" He asked, his concern for her etched all over his handsome face, even as he assessed her for injuries.

She nodded, feeling heat rushing to her cheeks, "Yes your whale of a wife lost her balance."

Her husband flashed her a trademark Joel Goran grin, "Alex, how many times do I have to tell you? Pregnant or not you're beautiful?"

She was about to reply, but his lips were suddenly on hers rendering her mute.

"Sorry. I just missed you and I thought I'd take advantage of your vulnerable position,"

He mumbled, as he kissed the column of skin at her throat. "I hope you don't mind, Dr. Reid."

Alex smiled and returned his kiss, "Not at all, Dr. Goran. As long as you help me up that is…"

It was Joel's turn to smile. "With pleasure, Dr. Reid." He replied, "I'll help you up… _Eventually_."

She reached her hand out towards him, "Well that's good considering that I have to pick Luke up from school in an hour and a half. But for now why don't you join me? It's pretty comfortable down here actually."

"Now that's an offer I can't refuse, Reid." Joel said, smiling again as he got down on the carpet beside her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Alex, are you sure you're all right? He asked, softly. He was now close enough that she could feel his warm breath against the shell of her ear.

 _She knew he was thinking of the pregnant woman in the hospital who'd fallen while putting up a mobile and wound up brain dead._

 _She knew that because it was the first thing she'd thought of after she'd fallen._

She nodded and smiled, "Joel, baby, I'm fine. I just can't believe I did that. I'm so embarrassed. Don't tell anyone at the hospital, okay?"

Joel smiled and moved towards her for another kiss, "As long as you promise me that we'll go to the hospital the minute anything changes."

Alex rolled her eyes, "I promise."

"Okay then. My lips are sealed, Reid." He replied, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "How much time did you say you had before you had to go get Luke?"

"An hour and a half." She answered smiling.

 _She knew exactly what he had in mind._

"An hour and a half…Hmmm…whatever will we do with all that time?" He asked running one hand through her hair.

"I have a few ideas." She whispered in his ear, pressing her lips against the mole behind it.

"So do I, Reid." He replied, kissing her once more.

"Charlotte will probably be awake soon," She said, even as she snuggled closer to her husband.

"Hey, Joel? Can I ask you a question?"

He met her eyes and didn't look away, "You can always ask me anything."

"Do you still get restless?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" He asked, giving her a quizzical look.

"You know…Do you ever want to just take off for Liberia? The kids and I…Are we still enough for you?"

Instead of answering, Joel pressed his lips to hers. "You and the kids aren't just enough for me. You're _everything to me_. And you _always will be_. I love my life. And I love you and our kids. Do you hear me Alex Reid?"

She nodded, and smiled, "Even when you have to come home and pick your pregnant wife up off the living room floor?"

Joel kissed her once more before he stood up and pulled her to her feet, in one swift yet careful motion.

"Yes, even then." Joel answered, just as Charlotte's cries rang out from upstairs.

"Well, I guess she's up." Alex said picking up the laundry and throwing it in the basket. "Will you go up and get her, so I can finish cleaning up down here?"

Joel smiled and kissed her forehead, "You got it. Then we'll go get Luke together."

Alex couldn't help but smile as she watched her husband turn his back to her and walk up the stairs.

 _I never get tired of watching Joel Goran walk away._

She gathered up the rest of the discarded laundry, picked up the basket and moved cautiously down the basement stairs to put it in the washing machine.

She smiled as she heard her daughter exclaim, "Daddy!" from upstairs.

 _She's such a Daddy's girl._

 _But you can't blame her._

 _He's amazing._

 _He's my rock._

 _He's my shoulder to cry on._

 _He's my everything._

By the time Alex made it upstairs Joel was on his way down with Charlotte in his arms.

 _I never get tired of watching Joel Goran come back to me either._

 _And seeing him with the kids is so sexy._

"Hey angel," Alex said reaching out and gripping her daughter's hand, "How was your nap?"

Charlotte smiled, "Daddy's here!"

Alex nodded, smiling back "Yeah. He sure is. Let's go get your brother."

"Go get Luke!" Charlotte shouted, happily.

Alex grabbed her purse and the car keys as she and Joel made their way to the front door.

She stopped moving when Joel raised his free hand, "Hey, Reid, come here a second."

He pulled her close and kissed her while Charlotte pulled the dryer sheet out of her mother's hair and held it to her nose, inhaling the sweet, fresh familiar scent.

"Thanks for not letting me walk out of the house with a dryer sheet in my hair." She said, pulling away from him slightly. But she was still close enough to feel his breath on her lips.

"Just tell anyone who asks that it's laundry day." Joel said, smiling as he followed her out the front door.


End file.
